


To Happier Times

by DGCatAniSiri



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-02-18 01:43:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2330615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DGCatAniSiri/pseuds/DGCatAniSiri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What's more relaxing after fighting a war than being on vacation on a beach with James Vega wearing almost nothing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Happier Times

Some people would call taking a vacation in the midst of a galactic reconstruction selfish. That would probably be the kindest term used, as well. 

But John Shepard knew that if anyone deserved a genuine vacation, it was him. Especially given everything that he had to go through in order to get the galaxy to a point where reconstruction was on everyone’s mind. He’d done plenty enough to get them to a point where they COULD think about reconstruction. He deserved to be able to think about anything but.

Especially when his fiancé was walking into their cabana, wearing practically nothing.

“Whadaya say, Loco? Do I know how to pick a vacation or what?” James Vega said, grinning at Shepard. A tray of coconut shell drinks, complete with the little umbrellas, were in hand. The only thing he was wearing was a short pair of black briefs. The dress code here was extremely lax. 

“I am impressed. How did you find the one beach on Earth that wasn’t in the middle of fixing up the damage the Reapers did?”

James’s grin just got even more mischievous than its default. “Hey, I gotta keep some secrets, Loco.” He set the tray down on a small end table. “Isn’t that what marriage is about, finding new ways to surprise each other?” He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Shepard’s. It wasn’t much longer that James pulled Shepard in close, making it a full body kiss. When he finally pulled back, there was a twinkle in his eye. “So, you still think all my ideas are bad?”

“Well, you WERE the one who crashed the shuttle on Mars,” Shepard said, the old joke still hanging over his head.

“From what Kaidan and Scars say, you got no room to talk, Loco.” Touché. “You know, I think Esteban might insist on doing all the driving on the wedding.”

That made Shepard think of something else. “You know, James, I never really did take you for the patient type. The whole ‘extended engagement never seemed to really be you to me.” This was the engagement trip, a vacation taken after they’d survived the war, the engagement coming during Shepard’s rehabilitation.

“What can I say? I’m full’a surprises.” He glanced back to the drinks he’d brought with him. “You know your ice is melting, right?”

Reluctantly Shepard disentangled himself from James’s arms, going to pick up the drinks. He couldn’t stop himself, though, from looking out the window to the view. As Shepard had said, the beach they were on had been nearly restored to a state closely resembling pre-Reaper. As a result, the view was beautiful. Sand, surf, and dozens of people who’d poured in, attempting to remind themselves of what they’d lost, what they were trying to find a way back to. 

Shepard smiled as he felt James’s arms wrap around him, pulling him against his body. Apparently, he’d been at the window too long. Of course, given how much it seemed James loved touching him (not that Shepard ever complained), it could have only been a short while. As he felt his fiancé kissing the back of his neck, Shepard had a thought. “James?”

“Yeah?” James murmured huskily, not pulling his lips away from Shepard’s skin.

“I don’t want to wait to marry you.” He turned around, looking James in the eye. “Let’s just go ahead, get married here.”

“You mean it?” James sounded surprised. Shepard had agreed to the extended engagement, after all. It had seemed reasonable, to wait until after the galaxy had recovered to have this moment, so that everyone could move on, let them have their relationship to themselves to the point that when they did get married, it wouldn’t be the spectacle of the century. Their wedding was supposed to be about them, not some great galactic event.

Resting his hands on James’s waist, thumbing gently at his hips, Shepard nodded. “I do. Not some big, grand ceremony. Just you and me, and whoever’ll officiate.”

James was still trying to get his head around the idea. “I... You wanna do this now?” 

Shepard realized that he was speaking almost as if this were a whim – beautiful sights and sounds, being wrapped in the arms of the man he loved... It was the picture of contentment, and it could easily be a spontaneous whim to just go ahead and do this now. Not that it mattered at the end of the day – they were already engaged after all. The ‘whim’ factor was just in doing it now, without their friends there to wish them the best. But they’d be able to go back to them later and get them. What Shepard wanted was to not waste any more time. He’d fallen victim to that trap before, and he didn’t want to do that again.

“I want. I love you, James Vega. I have never been happier than I am right now, and that’s because I’m with you. So to hell with ceremony and anything else. You and me. Here and now.” All that Shepard really needed to marry James... well, was James himself. 

It took James’s brain a moment to reboot – he hadn’t expected that. Then again, he’d expected very little of what had become of his life since the moment he’d met Shepard. He hadn’t expected to find a reason to do more than fight and die in a blaze of glory after what had happened on Fehl Prime. He hadn’t expected to fall head over heels for his commanding officer. He hadn’t expected Shepard to be the one to kiss him first, there in the hanger bay, with Esteban offering some color commentary. He could live with a life of surprises, provided that the man he was holding was with him the whole time. 

So what else could he say? “All right, loco.” Part of him wondered if he should start calling him something else – ‘loco’ was the name he’d given his CO who’d done so much crazy he had to be just as insane as his stunts. While proposing in the middle of a crowded battlefield, filled to overflowing with pretty much everything the Reapers could throw at them, waiting for EDI to get a target lock on the Reaper Destroyer, right after James had hit a banshee with a flaming shotgun blast, that was pretty damn crazy, it seemed to be a completely different brand, especially considering that proposal, by default, meant that the man he held in his arms was more than just his CO. “All right. We’ll get married ASAP.” He kissed Shepard, his hands sliding up to cradle his soon-to-be-husband’s face. Then he rolled that word around in his mind – ‘husband.’ He could easily get to like that.

When Shepard pulled back about a minute later, he had a mischievous grin on his face. “Well, maybe not necessarily ASAP.” He motioned to the fact that neither of them were wearing much of all, and what was there left no room for doubt as to where either of their thoughts were. “I think we’re not exactly dressed for it.”

Returning Shepard’s grin, James started moving towards the bed. “Well, I don’t know ‘bout you, mi corazon, but I’m not leaving this cabana for a while yet.” The new nickname just came out of James’s mouth without him thinking about it, but it fit. Shepard was his heart, and he knew without even thinking that he was Shepard’s.

“Good,” Shepard said, pushing him the rest of the way to the bed. “Because there are a few things that we should do before getting married.” James shivered at the word, knowing now that it was more than just some abstract thought of ‘let’s get married.’ They were gonna do it.

Then he was on the bed, on his back, with Shepard filling his vision. 

He couldn’t wait.


End file.
